Kyle Duke Adamiec as Robert Louis Stevenson in our upcoming Indiegogo trailer for Death Is No Bad Friend.Photograph by G. E. Gallas

Siren’s Gaze Productions (sirensgazeproductions.wordpress.com) was born at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival as a collaboration between three young, unique, and ambitious female filmmakers — director Mary Lachapelle, cinematographer Jacqueline Lehr, and screenwriter/producer G. E. Gallas. Each of us has an undying passion for our expertise. Yet our individual personalities fit together to form an intuitive and vibrant production team.

Death Is No Bad Friend is a short film based on the life and works of Robert Louis Stevenson (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Treasure Island). Robert Louis attempts to escape his guilty conscience through honeymooning on Mount Saint Helena. But his illness catches up, forcing him to face his demons.

This film is Siren’s Gaze Productions’ first project. We believe that Robert Louis and Fanny Stevenson’s story is historically and culturally significant, and therefore should be celebrated through the medium of cinema. Our greatest goal is to create an outstanding film to submit to festivals around the world (Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, etc.) and to launch the careers of all cast and crew involved.

We are all 100% committed to this project. We are prepared to make this film on a shoestring budget, donating our time and skills. But every penny counts! We are hoping to raise between $10,000 and $25,000 to allow us to bring Death Is No Bad Friend to life.

We need YOU to support our production expenses and to spread the word. Through funding and promoting Death Is No Bad Friend, you will help us bring the unfamiliar and extraordinary life of the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson into the public eye. Moreover, you will be helping a group of young creatives take their first big step in achieving their lifelong dreams of becoming professional filmmakers!

“Death Is No Bad Friend is a poetic script that relies on imagery to evoke a morose feeling. The language is very well-crafted, with the characters’ style of speech accurate for the time period. Because the descriptions are succinct but also written in a similar style, the script reads easily and quickly while creating clear images of the locations.” –Feedback from the 2014 BlueCat Screenplay Competition.

Logline/Summary: A contemporary film noir about the tragic fate of a father and his daughter. Mr. Charles P. Cable finds himself unwittingly mixed up in a case of identity theft that provokes serious repercussions.

Reception: “…a compelling structure for a short. It heightens the stakes knowing that the protagonist is going to end up in a life-threatening and bloody situation. It also makes the story compact and easy to digest — a great attribute in a short.” –Feedback from the 2014 BlueCat Screenplay Competition

The Man Who Never Smiled began as the seed of an idea, based on an individual who was hired by my family to appraise the impressive art collection my grandfather and subsequently grandmother left behind. I never noticed that this man never smiled until my mom inadvertently said something that made him laugh and we were all shocked by the result.

Originally, the short screenplay was commissioned by a production company in the UK. But ultimately they were unable to film it. So I just put the project aside in my pile of yet-to-be-produced scripts. That was until earlier this year when, out of the blue, I received a message via Stage32 from Sacramento-based director Josh Mihal expressing his interest in my scripts and in particular The Man Who Never Smiled.

We began discussing the project over Skype. I created detailed notes for Josh and he set about recruiting the cast and crew. Soon, Josh will send me a shot list and I will get to work on a simple storyboard. Also, I will be working as script consultant on set. We are planning to film this July 27th and 28th.

It should be noted that we are doing this on a shoestring budget, which is simultaneously nerve-racking and compelling. Not only am I absolutely excited to finally see one of my scripts come to fruition, but I am also eager to send the finished project to various festivals and competitions.

I am trying to raise funds to go to Northern England for the filming of my short screenplay The Man Who Never Smiled, a contemporary film noir about the tragic fate of a father and his daughter. As the screenwriter, it is important for me to be on set for any last-minute changes. But the production company is working on a shoe-string budget and has no funds to get me there or even pay me. Please help me make my dream of becoming a professional screenwriter come true!

My name is G. E. Gallas, and I am a screenwriter and graphic novelist (writer/illustrator). I will be making a trip to the U.K. early next year, and need your help to make my dreams come true!

1. My short screenplay, The Man Who Never Smiled (a contemporary film noir), is being produced by Dream Catcher Films in the North West of England. This film is being made on a tight budget, and there are no funds for me to get there. It’s important for me to be there during filming so that I can make on-the-spot changes to the script and get hands-on experience in film production.

2. In between filming will be the perfect opportunity to visit London to research the 18th-Century poet-painter William Blake, the hero of my graphic novel The Poet and the Flea. I plan to visit Blake’s grave as well as various museums that house his works. Seeing his works in person would be life changing. This would be my first time in England, and I hope to make this an unforgettable learning experience.

Your contributions will help cover expenses for transportation (airplane, train) and lodging. I truly appreciate any and all support, whether through contributions and/or spreading the word through social media (Twitter, etc.)!!

While in Europe, I plan to document my travels. When I return, I will share my photos and experiences with all of you through my blog gegallas.wordpress.com.

Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Robots Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Continuing correspondence between me and Cassie. Revisions finished last Friday. Can’t wait to film later this year!!

The Poet and the Flea: Haven’t had time to work this week. Hoping to get more done next week, starting Tuesday-ish! [27 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 26 pages (1-6 completed, and 6-26 in progress) of illustrated work.]

Tuesday, sent an e-mail to Playground Pictures. They sound like a really cool group, and I think I could gain some great experiences by working with them. I would love to get involved, writing a web series or short script. Hopefully, they’ll message me back!

Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Tuesday, had successful first meeting with my director Cassie Jaye for our short film Robots Are a Girl’s Best Friend!! Had a chance to bounce ideas off each other, and currently working on revising the script. Planning on filming sometime after September. Wow!!!!!

Didn’t get in to the Provincetown Writing Fellowship. But I’m more than okay with that. I was worried that, if I were to get in, that the fellowship would interfere with my involvement in Robots Are a Girl’s Best Friend. Now, I can dedicate myself fully to this film project!

The Poet and the Flea: 27 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 26 pages (1-5 completed, and 6-26 in progress) of illustrated work. Would like to begin scanning pages soon — must experiment with my temperamental scanner.